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Angela's Ashes  By  cover art

Angela's Ashes

By: Frank McCourt, Jeannette Walls - introduction
Narrated by: Frank McCourt, Jeannette Walls - introduction
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Publisher's summary

Pulitzer Prize, Biography/Autobiography, 1997

National Book Critics Circle, Biography/Autobiography, 1997

Frank McCourt's Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir, movingly read in his own voice, bears all the marks of a classic. Born in Depression-era Brooklyn to Irish immigrant parents, Frank was later raised in the slums of Limerick, Ireland. His mother, Angela, had no money to feed her children since Frank's father, Malachy, rarely worked, and when he did, he drank his wages. Angela's Ashes is the story of how Frank endured - wearing shoes repaired with tires, begging for a pig's head for Christmas dinner, and searching the pubs for his father - a tale he relates with eloquence, exuberance, and remarkable forgiveness.

Listen to Frank McCourt talk about this book on C-SPAN's Booknotes (7/11/97).

©1997 Frank McCourt, All Rights Reserved (P)1997 Simon & Schuster Inc., All Rights Reserved, Audioworks is an Imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division Simon & Schuster Inc.

Critic reviews

"Frank McCourt is a marvelous writer whose words are made all the better when he reads them aloud..." (Bookpage)

"...one of the best I've heard in years." (The Boston Globe)

"...so good it deserves a sequel" (The New York Times)

"Here we have the stereotypical Irish characters - the drunken poet father; the all-suffering mother; the miserable, hungry kids being turned away by a haughty Church - all made three-dimensional and brought fully to life by both McCourt's language and his loving, intimate narration.... Grim it is - but the tale and its teller transcend the poverty - and so does the listener, who glories in the story and voice from beginning to end." (AudioFile)

Featured Article: The Best Memoirs to Make You Laugh, Cry, and Think


The memoir, as an art form, is one of the most difficult and complex to pull off. That’s why these titles are so impressive: not only are they excellent works in their own right, but they’ve achieved cultural acclaim, resonating with listeners of different ages, genders, races, religions, and identities. Often narrated by the authors themselves, these audiobooks allow listeners to be immersed in each story and feel all of the raw and unfiltered emotion that comes with them.

What listeners say about Angela's Ashes

Average customer ratings
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Wonderful

Perfectly narrated, and a beautiful composed story. I never wanted it the book to end.

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A wonderful surprise

I loved the way Frank read his own story and took you to Ireland with his parents and siblings. You laugh and cry through his journey as a youngster and I can’t wait to hear Tis and Teacher man. Thank you for sharing your life xx

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Wonderful listen

Charming, delightful, witty, sad, melodramatic, maudlin.... just not enough adjectives to encompass the range of emotions in this incredible memoir.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent read

What a wonderful experience, listening to the author himself telling this tale. The story is compelling and I believe it to be true. Can't wait to hear Tis.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Nyerra, tis grand

This is an entertaining listen, made better by Frank himself who is a decent narrator. Many of the stories will resonate with his countrymen (but not if you are a Limerickman it seems), eg the sarcasm of teachers, officials, and adults, not to mention the usual clip round the ear from all of the above. My only complaint, Frank, would be that you repeat a bit too much on the drunken fathers songs & the spent pay cheque, which become pretty predictable. Still my first audiobook, and no absolutely no regrets, very enjoyable. Nice one.

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Great

This is one of my favorite books of all time and it is even better as an audiobook due to the authors performance

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Not What I Expected

I have heard about this book being a sad and tragic story. I was in the mood for some drama and sadness so I gave it a shot. Maybe because other's have read it while I listened to it but I did not find this story to be sad at all. Yes, it was a tough life but the way Frank McCourt told it, it was a very matter-of-fact life. There were times when I thought, "Oh no! That's just not fair!" but then there were times when I laughed out loud at the shenanigans!

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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The Best Performance !

How lucky to get Frank McCourt to read his own book. It was wonderful and I didn't want it to end, despite the poverty and hard life.

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Worth the Accolades

I'm not usually one to read the personal memoirs of someone I've never heard of, but the myriad positive reviews here and elsewhere online forced me to take a chance.

I'm so glad I did.

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What a fantastic book

Where does Angela's Ashes rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best

What did you like best about this story?

The reality of life in 1930's/40's Ireland

What about Frank McCourt’s performance did you like?

An Irish accent to read and Irish book - brilliant

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